The 9th annual North Devon Festival takes place throughout the month of June, with a packed programme of arts and entertainment, including many events inspired and associated with the history, lifestyle and outstanding natural beauty of the area. A celebration of the diverse cultural scene in north Devon, the 2007 festival includes more than 200 indoor and outdoor events across 80 towns and villages. The festival kicked off on 1 June with a concert at Barnstaple's Queen's Theatre from the legendary Preservation Hall Jazz Band and continued with master of blues Eric Bibb on 2 June and world music superstar Baaba Maal on 3 June.  | | An impression of the ColourDome |
The opening weekend also saw the staging a unique outdoor event on the Castle Green in Barnstaple. ColourDome is a mesmerizing, multi-coloured inflatable structure with a series of linked chambers and tunnels. At its centre musicians performed inside a transparent dome. Among those appearing were Michael Ormiston, a leading exponent of Mongolian overtone singing. On 3 June local singer/songwriter Amy Newton launched her long awaited second album at the Landmark Theatre, Ilfracombe. The album, Which Hand, has been recorded and produced in her dad's living room. One of the festival's quirkier events sees Labour politician Roy Hattersley take to the stage at the Queen's Theatre on Sunday 10 June with Buster's Secret Diaries.  | | Master of blues Eric Bibb |
Based on an incident in St James's Park involving his dog Buster and a goose, Mr Hattersley will be exposing the truth about man-made fallacies such as diet, discipline and exercise from a dog's perspective. The Summer Solstice weekend of 15-17 June sees the return of the Goldcoast Oceanfest to Croyde. This popular lifestyle sports and music festival features more than 28 live bands and showcases the talents of world class athletes in sports as diverse as surfing, volleyball, paddle racing, kitesurfing, BMX and skateboarding. Irish comedian and novelist, Sean Hughes, has returned to his 'first love' - stand up comedy and will appear at the Queen's Theatre, Barnstaple on Saturday 16 June. Best known to many as the sardonic team captain on BBC TV's Never Mind the Buzzcocks, Sean is keen to remind audiences why he became the youngest ever winner of The Perrier Award.  | | Dame Kiri Te Kanawa |
A regular feature in the festival calendar, the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, once again returns to North Devon for two more spectacular concerts in Ilfracombe (16 June) and Barnstaple (17 June). As the festival winds down, one of New Zealand's most prestigious exports, Dame Kiri Te Kanawa, will be performing a sell-out concert in Barnstaple on 29 June. She'll be performing from her vast repertoire, which ranges from the classics of opera to contemporary popular music. Running alongside the mainstream festival for most of June is the Barnstaple Fringe - offering a wide spectrum of unconventional events from jazz to performance poetry. Black Umfolosi 5, Cascade, and the return of last year's favourite Acoustic Ladyland, Steve Tilston, Eugene Hideaway Bridges and Iain Ballamy, are all star acts that encompass the eclectic mix of the fringe. A full programme of events is now available from the North Devon Festival website or from the festival box office on 01271 32 42 42. North Devon Festival
1st - 30th June 2007
Various venues | 
